Following is a research guide that will assist you in finding resources for your assignment (the online version of this guide can be accessed from the HS Library Website; select the Pathfinders for Class Assignments link, then click on the Health link in the left sidebar of the page).
To access a complete list of the Library's subscription databases:
Go to the BRRHS home page. http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/HighSchool.cfm
On Left sidebar - Select HS Library
You will be directed to the BRRHS Library Webpage (http://www.brrsd.net/curric/HS/library/index.html) . Click on the link for Subscription Databases. Scroll to the databases grouped under the categories of Literature or Biography. Click on the link to the database that you want to search.
You will have access to all databases w/o a login when you use computers on-campus; if you access databases remotely (off-campus) you will need to enter a User ID & Password:
Passwords for Remote Access to Databases:
ID: nj08807
Password: panthers
Books To find books in the library you need to use the Spectrum Online Catalog. Click on the icon on your PC desktop for Spectrum Patron's Catalog. Spectrum automatically opens to the Easy Search Screen. If you type a keyword in the search box, a complete listing of books related to your search term will appear on the screen. You can also search by Author or Book Title by clicking the appropriate button below the search box.You can combine terms in the Expanded Search Screen using AND, OR and AND NOT connectors: these are called Boolean Operators. You can obtain instructions on how to use these terms to refine your search by going to this site: Boolean Operators
Clicking on the tabs at the top of the results screen will sort the list of books by call number, title, author or date. Sorting by call number will show you areas of the library where most of the books will be found.
To print selected titles from the list, hold down the Control key and use the mouse to highlight the book titles that you want to print. Clicking on the Print tab will open the print option window. Type in your name and choose the Highlighted button to print the selected titles. The list of books will be printed in MLA format.
Reference Books: These books will have a call number starting with REF and can be found in the lower shelves in the Library.
Just about every topic has a Specialized Encyclopedia. These encyclopedias are usually quite extensive in their coverage and may be used for your research paper. They are not the same as General Encyclopedias, such as World Book Encyclopedia, which may be good for background information, but often will not be accepted by teachers as a cited source for a formal research paper.
A book cart has been prepared with a selection of Special Encyclopedias: you can find additional books on your topic by searching the Spectrum Catalog.
If the BRHS Library does not have resources that cover your topic, you may have to seek information at the Public Library. You can get remote access to the Somerset County Library’s On-line Catalog. Check the “Webpac” catalog to see what they own on your topic. You can have the Library reserve materials by typing in the Barcode number from your Somerset County Library Card.
Suggested Databases
These databases can be also be accessed from the Library Website.
Health Reference Center Enter your keyword in the search box. You can also select "Diseases & Disorders" from the Explore Subjects list. When you open the overview article, you will find a list of related diseases listed on the right. Citation information is provided at the end of each article.
Science Online Enter your keyword in the search box. Citation information is provided at the end of each article.
eLibrary ScienceThis database will provide you with broad coverage of topics, with a focus on scientific information. Covers legal and ethical perspectives.
Health Source Type your search term in the text box. Select the Full Text check box. Once you obtain your results list, change the Sort By drop-down to Relevance to move the articles most on-target to your search to the top of the results list.
Science Reference Center Type your search term in the text box. Select the Full Text check box. Once you obtain your results list, change the Sort By drop-down to Relevance to move the articles most on-target to your search to the top of the results list. EBSCOhost Web Select Student Research Center from the list of options. Deselect all of the category area check-boxes that are not relevant to your search (e.g., you should check Books & Encyclopedias). Type a disease name into the text box and click Search. Results will be listed separately for each resource category that you checked (click on tabs at top of results list to view results for each category). Citation information is provided at the beginning of the article under Source.
Website Guide
Search Engines: Remember that search engines are often part of a profit-generating business, and as such, they may inject the company's bias into your search results, by ranking articles that promote the company's viewpoint higher in the results or even by eliminating certain articles.
Try using different Search Engines: Search Engines : Alphabetical list of general search engines. Take a look at iSEEK Education, for example. It delivers only websites from university, government, and established noncommercial providers. Also, Hakia and SearchEdu.com, which also limit results to credible websites. Explore others on this list!
Website Evaluation Guide
Internet Resources: Although a valuable resource, you must be careful to evaluate the source of information. Some questions to ask yourself are:
· is the website authoritative (is the author an expert on the subject; usually sites with the .edu, .org or .gov are most reliable)? Look for an "About" link that provides information about
the site author or sponsoring organization.
· is the website accurate? Cross-check information against other reliable sources.
· is the website up to date? Look for a "Last Updated" notation, usually found at the bottom of the page.
· is the website biased or prejudiced toward a point of view? (It may still be useful, but use the information cautiously.)
Mayo Clinic A distinguished hopsital and research instituition. Select the letter that your disease starts with to see if it is included.
MedlinePlus-National Institutes of Health Medline Plus is a government-produced database that provides authoritative information from the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.
National Institute of Mental Health Part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
American Heart Association Diseases and conditions related to the cardiovascular system, including stroke, obesity, congenital heart disease, high blood pressure.
New York State Dept. of Health Provides information on an extensive list of diseases, including viruses, cancers, chronic syndromes.
World Health Organization (WHO) Provides fact sheets about various diseases, as well as world-wide statistics, and preventive and treatment initiatives.
Johns Hopkins Medicine Use the site map section Information For to access Specilaty Area web pages: many have disease descriptions.
Merck ManualThe online, searchable version of The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy (17th Edition) provides the same information used by doctors.
Works Cited
MLA Citation Examples:This link will bring you to the BRRHS Library page, with examples of MLA citation formats.
Diseases
Following is a research guide that will assist you in finding resources for your assignment (the online version of this guide can be accessed from the HS Library Website; select the Pathfinders for Class Assignments link, then click on the Health link in the left sidebar of the page).
To access a complete list of the Library's subscription databases:
Go to the BRRHS home page. http://www.brrsd.k12.nj.us/HighSchool.cfm
On Left sidebar - Select HS Library
You will be directed to the BRRHS Library Webpage ( http://www.brrsd.net/curric/HS/library/index.html) . Click on the link for Subscription Databases. Scroll to the databases grouped under the categories of Literature or Biography. Click on the link to the database that you want to search.
You will have access to all databases w/o a login when you use computers on-campus; if you access databases remotely (off-campus) you will need to enter a User ID & Password:
Passwords for Remote Access to Databases:
ID: nj08807
Password: panthers
Books
To find books in the library you need to use the Spectrum Online Catalog. Click on the icon on your PC desktop for Spectrum Patron's Catalog.
Spectrum automatically opens to the Easy Search Screen. If you type a keyword in the search box, a complete listing of books related to your search term will appear on the screen. You can also search by Author or Book Title by clicking the appropriate button below the search box.You can combine terms in the Expanded Search Screen using AND, OR and AND NOT connectors: these are called Boolean Operators. You can obtain instructions on how to use these terms to refine your search by going to this site: Boolean Operators
Clicking on the tabs at the top of the results screen will sort the list of books by call number, title, author or date. Sorting by call number will show you areas of the library where most of the books will be found.
To print selected titles from the list, hold down the Control key and use the mouse to highlight the book titles that you want to print. Clicking on the Print tab will open the print option window. Type in your name and choose the Highlighted button to print the selected titles. The list of books will be printed in MLA format.
Reference Books: These books will have a call number starting with REF and can be found in the lower shelves in the Library.
Just about every topic has a Specialized Encyclopedia. These encyclopedias are usually quite extensive in their coverage and may be used for your research paper. They are not the same as General Encyclopedias, such as World Book Encyclopedia, which may be good for background information, but often will not be accepted by teachers as a cited source for a formal research paper.
A book cart has been prepared with a selection of Special Encyclopedias: you can find additional books on your topic by searching the Spectrum Catalog.
If the BRHS Library does not have resources that cover your topic, you may have to seek information at the Public Library. You can get remote access to the Somerset County Library’s On-line Catalog. Check the “Webpac” catalog to see what they own on your topic. You can have the Library reserve materials by typing in the Barcode number from your Somerset County Library Card.
Suggested Databases
These databases can be also be accessed from the Library Website.Health Reference Center Enter your keyword in the search box. You can also select "Diseases & Disorders" from the Explore Subjects list. When you open the overview article, you will find a list of related diseases listed on the right.
Citation information is provided at the end of each article.
Science Online Enter your keyword in the search box.
Citation information is provided at the end of each article.
eLibrary Science This database will provide you with broad coverage of topics, with a focus on scientific information. Covers legal and ethical perspectives.
Health Source Type your search term in the text box. Select the Full Text check box. Once you obtain your results list, change the Sort By drop-down to Relevance to move the articles most on-target to your search to the top of the results list.
Science Reference Center Type your search term in the text box. Select the Full Text check box. Once you obtain your results list, change the Sort By drop-down to Relevance to move the articles most on-target to your search to the top of the results list.
EBSCOhost Web Select Student Research Center from the list of options. Deselect all of the category area check-boxes that are not relevant to your search (e.g., you should check Books & Encyclopedias). Type a disease name into the text box and click Search. Results will be listed separately for each resource category that you checked (click on tabs at top of results list to view results for each category). Citation information is provided at the beginning of the article under Source.
Website Guide
Search Engines: Remember that search engines are often part of a profit-generating business, and as such, they may inject the company's bias into your search results, by ranking articles that promote the company's viewpoint higher in the results or even by eliminating certain articles.Try using different Search Engines: Search Engines : Alphabetical list of general search engines. Take a look at iSEEK Education, for example. It delivers only websites from university, government, and established noncommercial providers. Also, Hakia and SearchEdu.com, which also limit results to credible websites. Explore others on this list!
Website Evaluation Guide
Internet Resources: Although a valuable resource, you must be careful to evaluate the source of information. Some questions to ask yourself are:· is the website authoritative (is the author an expert on the subject; usually sites with the .edu, .org or .gov are most reliable)? Look for an "About" link that provides information about
the site author or sponsoring organization.
· is the website accurate? Cross-check information against other reliable sources.
· is the website up to date? Look for a "Last Updated" notation, usually found at the bottom of the page.
· is the website biased or prejudiced toward a point of view? (It may still be useful, but use the information cautiously.)
Suggested Websites
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Government health organizaition. Select the letter that your disease starts with to see if it is included.
Healthfinder (US Dept. of Health & Human Services) Provides links to numerous websites that provide extensive information on specific disease conditions and treatments.
Mayo Clinic A distinguished hopsital and research instituition. Select the letter that your disease starts with to see if it is included.
MedlinePlus-National Institutes of Health Medline Plus is a government-produced database that provides authoritative information from the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.
National Institute of Mental Health Part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
American Heart Association Diseases and conditions related to the cardiovascular system, including stroke, obesity, congenital heart disease, high blood pressure.
New York State Dept. of Health Provides information on an extensive list of diseases, including viruses, cancers, chronic syndromes.
World Health Organization (WHO) Provides fact sheets about various diseases, as well as world-wide statistics, and preventive and treatment initiatives.
Johns Hopkins Medicine Use the site map section Information For to access Specilaty Area web pages: many have disease descriptions.
Merck ManualThe online, searchable version of The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy (17th Edition) provides the same information used by doctors.
Works Cited
MLA Citation Examples: This link will bring you to the BRRHS Library page, with examples of MLA citation formats.